Our Internet Connection
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:08 pmWhen we first started with the internet years ago, early 1990s, we just had dial up. At first we had not graphics, just text. I first had an old apple IIe, and we never got on the internet with that. Then I had an old slow low powered IBM, and it would get on, but text only. Then we boosted that old computer a little to get some graphics. After that we went to computers that would do more. We got another one every several years, but they are all so obsolete and technology has advanced to where they wouldn't even get on the internet now! The computer I have now I paid the least amount of money for it of all of them, bought it as refurbished, and it was the most powerful and fasted of any of the computers, but I have had it so many years now that it is way behind the times! It will not do what a computer should because it was great in its time, but its time is past. I am still using it and getting along fine! It loads everything up slowly, and the mouse freezes periodically making me have to try to save the material, and restart the computer. Many of the programs in use now require more than this computer can do, but I am still using it!
The internet is another story. When we moved into the National Park in 1998 in a little village, Stehekin, we had only one telephone supported by the Park Service in the valley, and we had to wait in line to use it. There was a long delay, and because of other people waiting to use the phone we could not have any long conversations. There was no internet possible there at that time. A few years later the technology was developed for 2 way satellite communication and the internet. We were not the first to get connected but we were not long after. Then even though my computer was not very old, it was not capable of getting on the internet with the satellite, so I had to buy another computer. Then after a few years I bought this computer refurbished, for very little money, and the best computer I ever bought.
When we moved we brought our satellite with us, and we have been using it ever since. Each time I would sign a contract for the internet it got cheaper until now it is at its cheapest for us. When we had to move the satellite dish here from over at the kids' house I had to have someone come to realign it, and reconfigure everything, and adjust it so that it would beam in on the satellite. We had modem trouble for a while, and I have one new modem because we didn't think this one was working, but it is! Tech. people couldn't get it to work when it should have, and nothing was wrong with it. For a while I was afraid when the electriciy failed that it would not come back on aftrer the electricity came back on, but it has each time.
What happens lately is that when the dish gets covered with snow or ice, we lose our reception, and then I have to clean the snow off to get the internet back on, but that is a small problem, and it works good enough.
The internet is another story. When we moved into the National Park in 1998 in a little village, Stehekin, we had only one telephone supported by the Park Service in the valley, and we had to wait in line to use it. There was a long delay, and because of other people waiting to use the phone we could not have any long conversations. There was no internet possible there at that time. A few years later the technology was developed for 2 way satellite communication and the internet. We were not the first to get connected but we were not long after. Then even though my computer was not very old, it was not capable of getting on the internet with the satellite, so I had to buy another computer. Then after a few years I bought this computer refurbished, for very little money, and the best computer I ever bought.
When we moved we brought our satellite with us, and we have been using it ever since. Each time I would sign a contract for the internet it got cheaper until now it is at its cheapest for us. When we had to move the satellite dish here from over at the kids' house I had to have someone come to realign it, and reconfigure everything, and adjust it so that it would beam in on the satellite. We had modem trouble for a while, and I have one new modem because we didn't think this one was working, but it is! Tech. people couldn't get it to work when it should have, and nothing was wrong with it. For a while I was afraid when the electriciy failed that it would not come back on aftrer the electricity came back on, but it has each time.
What happens lately is that when the dish gets covered with snow or ice, we lose our reception, and then I have to clean the snow off to get the internet back on, but that is a small problem, and it works good enough.